A common problem associated with preparing meals in a kitchen concerns placement of the lids for pots, pans, and the like, when not in use. For instance, during the preparation of meals, pots and pans are placed on the stove top, and it is often necessary to remove the lids to stir or check the temperature of the food in the pot or pan. Counter space in the kitchen adjacent to the stove is often times limited, thus making it difficult to find a place to temporarily store the lid. Further, the lid of the pot or pan typically has condensation or food on the underside. Putting the lid on the counter or kitchen table can therefore be messy.
Pot or pan lid racks have been the subject of prior patents. See for example, Geleziunas, U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,469, Geheb, U.S. Pat. No. 2,634,865, and Fuhrmann, U.S. Pat. No. 1,266,245. However, these patents are directed to storage racks for lids, and therefore do not solve the problems overcome by the present invention. For example, these patents disclose racks that are bulky and large and require a large wall space for hanging which is often times not available above or near the stove. Also, such large and bulky racks are unattractive, thus detracting from the appearance of the kitchen. Further, these racks maintain lids on steep vertical angles, and are therefore not suitable for holding lids having condensation or food on the underside of the lid because the condensation or food can slide off the lid, creating a mess. Additionally, these prior art racks cannot be removed from the wall to facilitate cleaning without removing the anchoring screws or nails which requires significant time and effort. Finally, these racks require numerous parts and are expensive to manufacture.